Trapped
by kattastrophic
Summary: Ever since she could remember, Madge always knew Gale as the guy she could never get along with. After Katniss is reaped, Madge begins to learn just how much patience it takes to deal with him, and wonders how Katniss had the energy to put up with the outspoken and headstrong boy.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi y'all! I haven't written anything for a while, so this here is just a result of a rusty mind. I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: **All things easily publicly recognizable belong to Suzanne Collins. I do not own The Hunger Games.

* * *

"Madge, honey, can you get the door? Fran and I are trying to get your mother in the bed." My father calls from the stairs. I set down my book, and sigh. My mother's got wind that it's Reaping Day today, and fainted on the dining table.

I stand up, and shake my legs a little. My foot fell asleep, and it feels like pins are poking every time I take a step, but I ignore it. I open the door to see Katniss and Gale with a bag of strawberries. We just stare at each other for a while until I hold up a finger to get the sack of money my father keeps on the counter. Across the burlap sack, STAWBERRIES is written in his all caps penmanship. Sloppy and like a fourteen year old's. And he tells me to work on _my _writing.

I return, and begin to exchange the goods. While I'm counting the money, I hear Gale say something. I almost don't catch it. "Pretty dress."

I look at him, narrowing my eyes. Was he sarcastic? It sounded sarcastic. Ha, I'll be just as confusing with him. I shoot him a smile. "Well, If I end up going to the Capitol, I want to look nice, don't I?"

I almost want to swallow back my words. The look on Gale's face is terrifying, yet satisfactory as well. But all the smugness I feel drains when he composes himself, and replies in a sickly smooth voice, "You won't be going to the Capitol," he eyes my pin. The same one my aunt wore when she came back in that wooden box. The same box nearly every tribute from District 12 comes back in. "What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was twelve years old."

The thought of the pin had already made me sick. She only had five or six entries as well, and look at her, she was picked, leaving my mother in a miserable state and me with this Mockingjay pin.

I didn't listen to Katniss and Gale's after that. Only after I gave her the money did I say anything. "Good luck, Katniss." I caught myself before wishing Gale luck too. He just got on my nerves with what he said.

I watch them leave, and slowly close the door. I look around the kitchen quickly. If our maid, Fran, got light of the conversation I just had, I would be reciting civil pleasantries with her until next week.

I go to my room, and pick up my book again. I read until my father drags me downstairs, and tries to fix me up in anyway. He licks his hand and almost brushes my hair with it until I stop him.

"Dad, you don't have to do this. I'll be fine." I say, smoothing out his wrinkled shirt. He grimaces.

"I just wish I could pluck all those slips with your name on them out, and you'll never have to go to the Games." He looks me over. I smile at him ruefully.

"You're being like Fran. And even if I get picked, I'll be fine. I'm smart." My family has been especially careful about being reaped. There has never been a moment when we believe that it's impossible for me to be reaped. My mother's been scarred enough to ensure that my father and I don't take the liberty in declaring me safe.

"Besides," I continue, "you should be the one worried. Don't want to bore the crowd." He chuckles, but I can see the pain in his eyes as I kiss him goodbye and walk out the door.

* * *

I hold my head up high as I walk out into the hall as the Peacekeepers close the door behind me.

I knew after I visited Katniss, this was not a time to act panicked, or like a little girl. She was strong, and some of it rubbed off on me when I went in to visit her. I just came back from visiting Peeta, even if I didn't know him too well. I believed I came off strong for the both of them, making me feel better.

Even though the cameras won't be on me, even though I wasn't the one to be reaped, keeping up a brave front was better than breaking down and weeping. It made me feel less useless.

However, my high head forgot to do something: watch where I was going. I crashed into some clothed pillar. I snorted before opening my eyes. Presentation always counts, but I mean, my father didn't have to throw sheets on poles and spray them with pine scented air freshener.

"Madge." I groaned. I knew that pole's voice. I had a small tiff with it this morning.

I slowly opened my eyes, and looked up at the towering figure.

"Gale." I said in the same clipped voice he used. He rolled his eyes as I straightened out my white dress while I tried to hide my embarrassment. I heard some shoes scuff the ground as Katniss and Peeta were being taken out of their rooms. They were too far away for Gale and me to see them exit through the back.

"So, what business do you have visiting Mellark?" I scrunched my nose, disliking Gale's accusatory and suspicious tone.

"I was wishing him luck. His father helped out my family in more ways that just providing bread on the table." I sniffed, sticking my nose so high, I fear he might have been able to see right up it. Gale just laughed, and its sound just rubbed me in the wrong way. It was such a callous, sadistic laugh, it made me regret answering him.

I then realized the effect of my words on him. I never had to work a day in my life; I was always guaranteed food on the table. But Gale? He had to hunt, be constantly on his toes because he was never sure when his next meal might be.

"Well, even if your boyfriend dies, you'll still have that bread." I glowered at Gale. Does he not know how extremely rude that was? And out of all the boys in District 12, he should be the one to know that Peeta was absolutely in love with Katniss.

Pfft, and here I was just about to _sympathize _with him.

"He's not by boyfriend. I was just being kind, which I doubt that you could even get the concept of!" I huff, storming down the hall.

From all that's happened today, I do not need this. Especially from that guy. I'm about to lose my one good friend, my mother has fainted and won't wake up, my father's a sweating mess, and well, Reaping Day is just a terrible day in general. Gale's_ sassiness _is the last thing I need.

"Madge!" I hear him call me, but I just roll my eyes, and power on. Gale's footsteps are so quiet that I'm startled when I find that he's quickly closed the distance between us that I tried so hard to create.

"What?" I hiss. Today, I am so not the quit, proper and prim girl my parents tried to raise. I duck my head down, so to not let Gale see the shame brought on my face as I'm disobeying all of my sickly mother's lessons on proper etiquette. But it only seemed to fuel my fire. All I could see is that despite how fast I was going, my steps were still so tiny that it only took Gale to cover the same distance that took me two strides in one.

"Madge, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. It's just… with Katniss leaving, I don't know how to deal with anything. I feel a little lost." He apologizes. I feel less mad, as sorrow takes up some space in my heart. I wasn't Katniss' only friend.

My feel slow down to a regular pace as I get closer to the grand doors. I sigh as Gale opens them, blinding me with light. I hold up a hand to shade my eyes and look at him.

"Well, first things first, take your siblings home and make sure everything's okay. Check up on Prim and her mother. After that, you can be as lost as you want." I instruct him. He nods solemnly. I blush a bit. I never thought I'd be giving this head strong boy orders. Well, Gale's been looking more like a man than a boy for a while now, so it seems even more unbelievable.

"What're you going to do?" He asks me as we hit the end of the patio. I tuck a stray piece of hair behind my ear, and look out at the train station. I see the train moving towards the setting sun, and sigh.

"I'm going to wake up my mom, and tell her the day is over." I say. Gale just stares at me, and I get the sudden urge to say a closing line, something kind to end this conversation. He looks pained as the end of the train disappears in the trees.

"If you need any help, you can just ask me." I look at him just in time to see him scoff. I frown.

"If I need any type of Capital sponsored help, I'll be sure to find you." He drawls sarcastically.

"You know, I was just trying to be nice. I may be going through some pain too right now, but I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss." I scowl at him, crossing my arms.

Gale rolls his eyes. "I don't need your sympathy. Or your help." He guffaws at the word "help", and turns, strolling down the stairs and right out of town.

I put my fingers on my temple. Out of all the people in the world, Gale is the only one to really ruffle my feathers. How in the world Katniss was able to deal with him, I don't know, but it must have taken a lot of patience.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Here's Chapter two, everyone! Have fun

**Disclaimer: **I do not own The Hunger Games.

"What're you doing here?"

I jump at the voice. I wasn't expecting anyone to talk to me. Not here anyway. I turn around swiftly, barely catching myself before tripping into a pile of coal dust. Gale raises an eyebrow.  
I cross my arms and examine him. Three rabbits and a few squirrels hang from his belt, and leaves are poking out of the bag over his shoulder.

"I was looking for Mrs. Everdeen and Prim. My mom asked me to deliver a letter, and I have something from the bakery." I frown, hating how small and thin my voice sounds. My words definitely didn't come out the way I wanted.

Gale looks me up and down the same way I did to him a few minutes ago. "I can't imagine you getting your shoes scuffed. Were you forced?" I blow my bangs up above my forehead. This boy sure does know how to rile me up.

"I wanted to." I say, stretching myself to my full height. I reach the middle of Gale's chest. He laughed, and I glowered at him.

"Well, just so you know, you're going the wrong way. The Everdeens live over there." Gale points to a light blue-gray house opposite my way.

I flush red. Even when I'm trying to be as intimidating as he is, and show than I'm a better girl than he believes me to be, he still finds a way to embarrass me. I stomp off in that direction.

As I turn up the stairs to the house, I'm not surprised to see that Gale has been following me. Before I can get a rude word out of my mouth, he holds up a dead rabbit. "I've got a delivery too," he says with the cheekiest smile. I flip my hair, and he just reaches over me to knock on the door.

I throw on my brightest smile as we wait for the door to open. I feel a little jittery, since I've never been here before, and the fact that Gale is way _too _close for my comfort. I can feel the heat radiating off of him.

Prim opens the door with excitement. "Gale!" She practically jumps into his arms. He laughs and carries her inside, leaving me awkwardly standing at the threshold.

Thankfully, Mrs. Everdeen comes to my rescue. She invites me inside, graciously but warily taking the brown bag of bread from my hands. I study the room around me, and admire the vase of yellow flowers on the wooden table in the kitchen. Everything here has the layer of impossible coal dust as do most buildings in the Seam, but somehow, inside the house, everything looks more precious here than it would in a house in town. The coating of dark powder just adds character to them.

I remember that I still have the letter in my hand. "Mrs. Everdeen? I have a letter for you from my mother." I say, and she turns around, a faraway look in her eyes. I gulp, unsure whether to set it somewhere, or give it directly. I hold it in my hand slightly extended towards her, and she gently takes it. She sets it down on the counter, next to the herbs she's reorganizing.

I hear Gale and Prim whispering, and he's nudging her towards me. I smile at her, and she comes skipping over. We look at each other, and I realize that we could pass off as each other's sisters. She sticks out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Prim." I shake it and laugh. She's too adorable, I almost can't take it.

"Hi Prim. I'm Madge Undersee." I say, and her eyes light up.

"Are you Katniss' friend from school? The daughter of the mayor?" She asks, and I nod. She giggles. "Oh really?! Do you get treated like a princess?"

"Oh, no, I'm basically the same way you are!" I touch her noise, and she laughs. Prim is almost the exact opposite as her sister; the appearance and personality. I can't believe they're related, let alone sisters.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gale and Mrs. Everdeen talking. She's holding two of the rabbits from his belt, and they're using low voices. I would try to hear what they're saying, but Prim's right there, and I'm assuming what they're talking about is really private.

Prim notices that I'm distracted and touches my arm. I jump, and look at her. "Do you want to meet Lady?"

I look around, assuming Lady is that mangy cat I saw lurking under the porch when I was walking up the stairs. "Oh, I'd love to!" I reply with just as much enthusiasm as she did. "Is she inside the house?" I eye an orange blur that slips through the window shutters.

Prim laughs, "Oh no! Lady doesn't stay inside the house; she's outside in the backyard."

I eye the cat. It hisses at me, and I jump back. Prim grabs my arm. "Here, let me show you to Lady!"

As she's dragging me away, I hear Gale chuckle. "Madge, Lady's a goat!"

* * *

I find myself trying to pick all of the dandelions and weeds to keep Lady from eating the bow in my hair. She's eating them by the handful, and I worry that if she keeps this pace, I won't have anything but my clothes to feel her in the next five minutes.

"Prim?" I call towards the window anxiously. My supply was running dangerously low.

"Gale's coming!" She calls back. Her mother called her in for some help with the herbs… or maybe it was with the cat, I'm not so sure. I was too worried about getting eaten alive. People weren't joking when they said that goats eat everything.

"Did you need help with something?" asks Gale as he turns the corner. I stand up and turn towards him quickly, but hear a tearing sound in the process. Horrified, I look at Lady.

I spent all this time working about my hair and ribbon, I never bothered to check if she was eating anything else. She's chewing a bottom strip of my dress, and I groan. Mother's going to be upset, and don't even get me started on how Fran's going to take this. I think I ripped this dress once before, and it got me a week of nothing but scolding and outfit checks every time I went out and came back home. Never again.

I feel Lady lick my arm, and I quickly drop the weeds in my hand, and scoot as far away from her as the yard would let me. I don't want to lose another piece of clothing to the point of embarrassment.

"At least Lady likes you!" He chuckles. I scowl at Gale. He laughs again. "You should stop scowling. It doesn't suit you."

"Shut up," I snap. What is it with this boy and making me lose all of my manners?

He puts both of his hands up. "I was only joking!"

I look down, and mutter an apology. I kick a rock over, and a bunch of dust billows up. I cough. "You're not used to being in this part of the district, are you?" Gale asks, coming over to pet Lady. He takes a carrot out of his pocket, and feeds it to her. I glare at them. How come she doesn't eat _his _shirt?

Gale clears his throat. I turn my head, and then realize that I had forgotten to answer him. "Oh, no. Unfortunately, I don't get out of my house often."

"Why not?" I watch as he reties the bow on the goat. His hands are so large, calloused by the bows and snares he uses in the woods, yet they work so delicately with the ribbon.

"I take care of my mother a lot. She gets migraines every few days. I play piano to calm her down." Wait, why am I telling him this? I don't even tell Katniss things about my mother.

"Oh." Gale sighs when he finished the knot. I try straightening out my dress. Or what is left of it anyway.

"Well, I should get going." I clear my throat, and call my goodbyes to the Everdeens. Prim pops out of the window, as does her mother.

"Tell Mr. Mellark thankyou, and I'll write back to your mother soon. In the meantime, can you please give this to her?" Mrs. Everdeen hands me a small bag. I nod.

"Madge, are you going to come back? I have so many other things to show you!" says Prim as she holds my hand. I laugh, and slowly let go.

"Of course I'll visit. Goodbye Prim, Mrs. Everdeen." They wave at me as I start on my way back home.

"Are you going into town?" Gale asks me at the gate. I shrug.

"Where else would I be going?" He furrows his eyebrows, but I think he's smart enough to know that it's basically the only way I can return home.

"Okay. Wait a minute? I need to go there too." He jogs into the house. I see him pick up his pack and give Prim a kiss on the cheek before he runs out again. So, the infamous Gale Hawthorne can be sweet. I never knew he could be anything other than hostile or sarcastic. Well, around me at least.

He joins me, and we start onto the road. "So, what business do you have in town?" I ask him. He doesn't look at me when he answers, "I just have to trade a few things."

I look at his bag, full of leaves and vegetables. "Do you have any strawberries?" I ask, think of my father. Gale laughs, shaking his head.

"No, I'm sorry. I picked them all with Katniss a few days ago." His voice falters a little. I gulp, knowing I had just poked an ever growing bruise.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." I put by hand on his arm, and he shies away. I purse my lips, and bring my hand to fiddle with the threads of my ripped dress. "You know, Katniss was my friend too," I pause, "She still is."

We hit the cobblestones that mark the edge of town. Gale stays quiet. "Maybe we were not as close as you two were, but we were there for each other. I gave her my Mockingjay pin as a token."

The quietness stays until we come up to the back of the bakery. He trades a few squirrels for bread, and I give Mr. Mellark Mrs. Everdeen's gratitude. The door closes, and Gale and I are just standing in silence. I pick up the speakers in the distance, hearing the recap of the opening ceremonies. The tributes are in training, and it's all kept in secrecy, so there's no new footage regarding the Games. I hear the commentators rave on about Katniss and Peeta's costumes.

"You know, I just wish I volunteered." I look at Gale, startled at the sound of his voice.

"What?"

"I should have volunteered. Katniss shouldn't have to go through that alone." He hits the apple tree in frustration. I watch as an apple falls into the pig pen.

"She's not alone. She has Peeta, who cares for her more than you think. And you still have to take care of not only your family, but hers as well. In a way, it's a good thing you didn't volunteer. Katniss did it all for Prim, and if you left, it would have been all in vain. She wouldn't forgive you if you left Twelve." I say.

He sighs, "I just wish the Capitol didn't hold annual slaughters. None of all this would have happened." I hold back a gasp, and look around.

"Gale!" I hush, "If somebody hears you say anything like that…" He roles his eyes.

"Whatever. _You _would know what would happen. You're the mayor's daughter." I clench my jaw.

"Just because I am doesn't mean that I approve of it though."

"Yeah, right. You still get pampered like a princess, even if you deny it." Gale spits onto the floor. I eye the wet glob, knowing that no matter what I say, it'll just set him off again. He turns around swiftly, but not before the salutes me goodbye with a bow. "See you later, Princess Madge."

Gale slinks away into an alley way. I burst, knowing that I can only hold onto words for so long. "I am _not _a princess!" My protest follows him, but he doesn't come back.

I see a flash in the corner of my eye, and I look up to the second floor window of the bakery.

"I bet I can make you my princess," Rye, Peeta's 18 year old brother, calls to me, smirking. I snort.

"In your dreams, bonehead." I reply, kicking a rock to the pigs, and start to walk home.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks you guys for the reviews and follows! I really appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Hunger Games.

* * *

"Fran, I'm home!" I call to the seemingly empty house I had just entered. I knew better though, my father's in his office, my mother's either sleeping or staring blankly at the tv, and Fran was either dusting or sitting with my mother.

I see Fran come my way, wish her finger on her lips. I nod. My mother's sleeping. I hand Fran the bag Mrs. Everdeen gave me. "This is from the healer. She told me to give it to my mother. I figured you'd know what to do with the contents of the bag." I whisper, and Fran whisks it away from me, heading into the kitchen.

I look around, and sigh. There really isn't anything to do in here. I go into my room, and lie on my bed, thinking of the events that had happened today. After going through what happened outside of the bakery, I came to the conclusion that no matter what we do together, Gale and I will always part on bad terms.

I frown. I've never had this problem with anyone else. Maybe one of the girls from town, but most of them end up keeping to their tiny cliques, and I stay with… well, Katniss. Now that she's gone, there really isn't anyone for me to go to unless it includes Fran or my parents, but really, that's just sad.

Since Gale and I really only have one mutual friend, I guess it's a little understandable that we'd get thrown together once she leaves. But I never knew that he would be _this_ difficult!

I sigh, and stare at a ladybug that just landed on my window seal. I pick it up with my finger, and hold my hand outside the window. The bug just turns the other way, and crawls down my arm. It tickles, so I force it off, and throw it outside, watching it fall then rise and fly away.

I pick out a book, and bring it to my bed. I read it laying down, but drop it on my face when a knock on my door scares me.

"Come in!" I call, keeping the book on my face. No one that would come in here would mind anyway. No one visits me really.

"That's a nice look. You should keep it." I scramble up, and throw the book off of my face.

"What're you doing here, Gale?" I stare at him. He takes the liberty to take a seat in my desk chair. I fold my arms, and wait for him to reply. He avoids eye contact with me, looking around the room, and then out of my window.

"You've got a pretty quaint place. Not what I'd expect for a princess." He says, looking at all of my books.

"That's because I'm not one. What're you doing here?" I repeat my question. He turns, and his gray eyes meet my blue.

"I came to apologize. I realized that we always leave with disagreements." I laugh a little. _That's just what I was thinking._

"Really? I wouldn't have thought!" I reply sarcastically. He narrows his eyes.

"You know, Undersee, I always thought you were a prim, proper girl. I guess I'm wrong." So, we've lost first name privileges? I see how he's going.

"You never knew much about me, Hawthorne."

"I'm sorry for trying to." Gale says, starting to get up. I stand up, and walk over to the door, blocking him from getting out.

"You never tried! Do you call scoffing at my attempts to help you _trying_? You and I know better than to call that trying, Gale." He rolls his eyes.

"I never asked for your help." I stare at him, dumbfounded. No shit. I thought we established this two days ago.

"And I never was expecting you to! What is it with you and help? It's not a bad thing! I was trying to be nice, reach out to you." I'm at the verge of pulling my hair out. "If I were in your shoes, no matter how independent I am, how much of an ego I have to uphold, I would be grateful for even a _little bit _of help. Not many people offer that after the reapings, Gale."

He stays quiet, and looks down at the ground. "You didn't try to understand me, or get to know me. You denied me with every chance you got. I opened up to you, at least, I tried to. I told you things I didn't tell Katniss before." I say. Gale takes this opportunity to look me in the eye. I see a bit of fire in them, and I cower a little.

"You're telling me _I _didn't try, and that _you _did? Is that how you think our situation is? I tried to create laughs with you, but you just snapped in my face. I didn't talk about my past because I'm not as free with it as you are. I don't accept your help because it's supplied by the Capitol, the one power that is the source of all the death and evil around here!"

"You don't think I know that?!" My voice is loud. He and I glare at each other.

"No. I don't think you do." Gale challenges. I sigh angrily, and rub my temple.

"Did I tell you about my pin?" I close my eyes, and try to remember my mother's story to me. The one that made her turn white as a bone, and shoo me away afterwards. The one she told me the night before my first reaping, at age twelve. The night she placed the pin in my hand because she could no longer bear to see it in her jewelry box.

"The one you gave to Katniss?" I feel Gale's eyes on me. They practically burn a hole through me. I slowly open my eyes once I finish thinking of the story. I nod. "Well, what about it?" I feel the sting in his words. The pin must seem so meaningless to him. A token of gold that he could never afford, but would never do any use. It was a symbol of no significance to him.

"My mother is a twin," I start, "and like any other children who grow up in this place, they both had to participate in the reaping of the Hunger Games. Being merchant's daughters, their names were not extremely numerous in the ball, but when they were sixteen, it was the year of the second Quarter Quell." I pause, and Gale looks at me.

"The one with four tributes?" He asks. I nod solemnly. I wait for him to put the pieces together. "Your mother's sister was reaped?"

"Yes. As they were from town, each came to the reaping with a preset token of sorts. They were heirlooms which were worn every day. My mother's was a Mockingjay necklace, and her twin's was a Mockingjay pin."

"Your pin."

"Katniss' now. Do you remember the Games that Haymitch won?" I ask. Of course he would know. Haymitch Abernathy is our only victor, everybody knows the year he won.

"The second Quarter Quell. The one she was reaped in." Gale answers. I look into his eyes, and smile sadly. He sighs, and puts his hand on his forehead. "Oh Madge, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Not many people remember the fallen tributes, Gale." I see the shock register in his face. I feel emptiness hole its way out of my chest, and travel throughout my body. I finally understand the intensity of my mother's story, her continuous head aches, her near inability to get out of bed without falling down. I finally understand her dread of the Hunger Games, and all her loss.

"I shouldn't have gotten upset with you the day of the reaping. It was wrong." Gale slowly pulls me into him, as if the story had made me fragile. He tried to handle me with care, as if I were glass.

I feel myself in his wrap, and struggle to bring my arms to finish the hug. When I talk, my voice sounds hallow. "I never stopped you."

Gale pulls slightly away, only far enough so that he could tilt my chin up so I could look at him. "Next time, you should. I never knew you were hurting."

"Everybody is suffering, in their own ways, Gale. If only something like the Games, the Capitol, the logic of Panem didn't exist, none of this-" I'm interrupted by a kiss.

I look up at Gale in shock, and he smiles a little. "If somebody hears you say anything like that…" He repeats what I said earlier in the day. I feel a blush crawl up by cheeks. "But hey, who knows? You _are _the mayor's daughter." I'm about as red as a ripe tomato and smiling like an idiot, and push him a little at the chest.

"Shut up."


End file.
